Netflix Queue

What's in your Netflix queue these days? I've been watching decidedly lighter fare over the summer, and it's been a nice change. I'm enjoying the relaxed vibe of summer, and the lighter side of things.

I finally watched Riverdale and found it really entertaining! I've a soft spot in my heart for teen dramas and thought Riverdale was exactly what it should be. My husband didn't care for the stunt casting but I liked it - Luke Perry! Molly Ringwald! (It's like they were targeting it towards my generation, haha!) I was a fan of the Archie Comics when I was a kid, and I liked Riverdale's take on an old classic. I'm a sucker for a murder mystery, and thought it was a fun way to update the Archie characters. I also liked that Montreal was a plot point - we always get to be a part of seedy storylines! I'm looking forward to season 2!

I also watched Glow. Alison Brie was great on Community and Mad Men, and I appreciated that Glow let her talents take centre stage. I'm not a fan of wrestling, and even after watching the show I didn't get an appreciation for the fine art that is wrestling, but I really enjoyed this show about female wrestlers. It had a strong ensemble cast, and was a fun comedy about women making opportunities for themselves and playing on stereotypes. I read that it's getting a second season too!

I've finally started the new season of Orange is the New Black. I don't think it's as good as past seasons, and drags quite a bit, but I'm still enjoying it.

How about you? What are you watching these last days of summer?

XOXO

Bran Muffins

Not the most exciting thing to bake, especially in the summertime, but you can't beat a good ol' bran muffin. Over the summer I took my son to a day program at the local community centre, and the list of things I had to pack for us for every outing was long - diapers, wipes, bathing suit, extra clothes, snacks, lunch, water, sunscreen, and on and on and on. (Going anywhere with kids is complicated!) A homemade bran muffin saved the day more than once, providing us with a grab-and-go breakfast for mornings we were running late, or an easy to pack on-the-go snack.

Sadly, I lost my favourite bran muffin recipe, and have been on the hunt for a new and reliable one. I stumbled across this recipe in my searches and it was delicious! A warning though - they're not the easiest bran muffins to make as they require toasted bran and a puree to be made out of raisins first. And I don't think they are the healthiest muffins either - see said raisin puree. They do have yogurt in them - I made them with Greek yogurt - so they have a bit more protein than your average muffin. And they are certainly tasty and worth the time!

XOXO

Summer Hats

In the winter I am all about the toque (wool hat or beanie, for you non-Canadians in the crowd), and I love wearing them all season long. Usually I'm cold, so they serve a practical purpose, and, let's face it, they are a way to hide greasy or messy hair - so you'll often find me rocking one on the weekend, because life is too short to style your hair on the weekend, right?

In the summer I really struggle with hats though. I'd like to wear one for sun protection - even though I am an avid user of sunscreen, in my old age I'm starting to notice more and more sun damage on my skin (pale skin for the win!!).

I often feel silly in hats though. I've tried ball caps (I had an especially tragic Montreal Canadiens trucker hat for a while), and though I'm comfortable wearing them running or golfing, I don't really like to wear one out and about. I've also tried fedora-style hats, and I feel awkward in them. This past spring I bought a Panama hat, as I thought a wider-brim would offer better sun protection. And wouldn't be so tragic looking, you know? But I still feel weird when I wear it.

I don't know why, but I feel like a total poseur when I wear a hat in the summer, yet find it totally normal to wear toques all winter long. Maybe it's because I've been rocking the toque long before the floppy beanie became a fashion trend?

Any tips for wearing a hat? Do I just need to get over myself?

XOXO

P.S. My other question is how do you travel with a hat? I see pictures on Instagram of people with fabulous wide-brim hats while on vacation, and I don't get it. Do you wear it on the plane? I had a hat the summer we lived in Paris, but I bought it there (at the très chic Monoprix) and donated it when we left.

Books I Hated

A couple weeks ago I wrote about some of the books I love, so this week I thought I would turn it around and write about some books I didn't like so much, or well, actually hated. I'm the kind of person who will pretty much finish reading any book I start. (The only book I can think of off-hand that I didn't finish was The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. I don't know why, I know this book was critically acclaimed, but I just couldn't get into it.)

These two books, I wish I didn't finish, or better yet, I never picked up in the first place.

Maestra by L.S. Hilton (I wouldn't put my whole name on this book either). A thriller set in the elite art world with a strong and rage-filled female protagonist, what's not to love — a lot, actually. I feel like there is a better book hidden somewhere in here, but this book was an incoherent and lewd travelogue of the rich and trashy. The abundant sex scenes become repetitive and boring, and the protagonist Judith has no real autonomy — she's just good at pimping herself out. I think I found this book on a list of 'if you liked The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, or Gone Girl, you'll like this' — but this book did not live up to either of those other thrillers. It's like the author turned in a better novel, and was told to cut half the book, and make it more like 50 Shades of Grey. (I've never actually read the 50 Shades books, but I can only imagine...) This book is supposed to be the start of a trilogy, but we can only hope the other two books won't see the light of day, even though this one ended on a cliffhanger.

A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. This was a critically acclaimed book, that honestly, while I was reading, I couldn't put it down. But even while I was reading it I was like I DO NOT LIKE THIS BOOK. It's written in a way that you want to discover the secrets of the main character's past, though you pretty much know the terrible truth before it's revealed. And the book is just so depressing! Besides the parts of the book that are lifestyle porn of wealthy New Yorkers, the rest of the book is just terribly, terribly heartbreaking and depressing. Nothing good happens to any of the characters. Ever. Even when it seems like there is a glimmer of happiness, it's short lived.

Not to reveal too much of the plot (in case you do want to read it), the main character Jude is damaged from terrible events in his past. And though I understand why he is so scarred, the self-hatred becomes repetitive. I think one of the things that bothered me was that the character shows no growth, and the book just ends up becoming extremely monotonous with passages of self-hatred followed by passages of self-hatred. I read in an interview with the author that the character of Jude came fully formed to her — she did no research on people who have suffered the same atrocities as Jude — and I think it shows, you know? This book, and the terrible feeling of sadness it brought with it, stayed with me for a long time after reading it. I've read, and loved, other books with difficult subject matters, and somehow this book just didn't deliver.

Do you have any books you particularly hate? (Sometimes it feels good to vent, you know?)

XOXO

Blueberry Cobbler

Blueberries are my favourite summer fruit. Ever since I was a little kid, I've always gone gaga for blueberries, yet, for some reason I don't bake with them very often. Summer baking around here is usually dominated by strawberry shortcake or peach pie. But this simple blueberry cobbler might just change that. It lets the taste of summer blueberries shine, with just a little sugar and lemon to sweeten and brighten up the flavour. Served topped with a scoop, or two, of vanilla ice cream it's summer perfection!!

Ingredients

3 cups fresh blueberries
3 tbsp white sugar
juice of 1/2 a lemon
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1/2 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.

In an 8 inch square baking dish, or cast iron skillet, mix blueberries, sugar, and lemon juice. Set aside. 

In a small bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the egg and the vanilla extract. Gradually add flour mixture, stirring just until ingredients are combined. Drop batter by rounded tablespoons over blueberry mixture. Try to cover as much of the filling as possible.

Bake in preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, until topping is golden brown and filling is bubbling.

Enjoy!!

XOXO

Picnics In the Park

One of our favourite things to do in summer is have a picnic in the park across the street from our house. Weeknight dinners feel special when eating them outdoors, and whiling away lazy afternoons in the park is an indulgence that must be savoured during the summer months. Some meals are more ambitious than others, featuring fresh and homemade fare, while others involve picking up a few slices from the neighbourhood pizza joint and a couple of drinks from the depanneur. All are a special summer treat!

In a dream world, the perfect summer picnic would consist of...

A cute striped tee, for playing bocce ball in style. Because you can never have too many striped tees, right?

The perfect shades, in an unexpected hue.

A fab basket to tote all of your wares.

A picnic blanket, perfect for lazy days in the park, and folds up easy-peasy when you're done.

A pair of shorts that make lounging (and even snoozing) in the park easy.

San Pellegrino to mix up some homemade lemonade (just add fresh-squeezed lemon juice and sugar).

XOXO

The Crown

Did you watch season 1 of The Crown on Netflix? I did and really enjoyed it — except for I thought it focused too much on Prince Philip. I think Queen Elizabeth is fascinating on her own, and the show is called The Crown for goodness sake — we didn't need to spend so much time on snivelling Philip. I would have enjoyed seeing a deeper exploration of Elizabeth's relationships with her mother and sister. And did we really need her feelings about inheriting the crown framed through the Duke of York?

I was quite disappointed when I read that season 2 was going to focus even more on Philip. Netflix just released a trailer for the second season of The Crown last week though, and it looks intriguing...I might watch it after all.

Claire Foy was spectacular in the first season, and did you catch a blond Matthew Goode as Princess Margaret's new love interest, Tony Armstrong-Jones?

Season 2 of The Crown will be released on Netflix December 8, 2017.

Have a good Wednesday!

XOXO

P.S. More Netflix musings

MTL 375 Block Party

All summer long Montreal is throwing a roving block party to celebrate it's 375th anniversary!

 Every weekend of the summer will see a different neighbourhood host a party to celebrate the city and it's people. This past weekend was our neighbourhood's turn. For three days the park across the street from our house was turned into a circus themed extravaganza with live music, acrobats and entertainment, art installations, games for kids, food and drink. It was a fun-filled weekend! Here are a few pictures of the party if you'd like to see...

There are still a few block parties left this summer, click here for a schedule if you want to check one out.

Have a great week!
XOXO

Dream Summer Vacation: Berlin!

We're not going on a summer vacation this year. I'm not complaining (too much) - if you have to be stuck somewhere for the summer, Montreal is a fun place to be! But, if we were to jet off somewhere for the summer I would love to go to Berlin! I've never really travelled in Germany (on a high school cycling trip we went to a couple of small towns in Germany, but that's it) and my bestie currently lives in Berlin, so I am itching to go! Berlin seems like a cool city, with lots of interesting history to explore.

I'd love to wander through the Tiergarten and maybe check out the zoo with my son. Or visit Museum Island and soak up some history and culture by taking in a few of the hundreds of museums Berlin has to offer. Or see some of old Berlin like the Brandenburg Gate and the Reichstag. And I know my husband would be interested in some of the Cold War history, like Checkpoint Charlie and the DDR ‘Ostalgia’. I also think it would be important to see the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe.

And luckily as a vegetarian, I think Berlin's food scene has evolved past currywurst and wiener schnitzel, with lots of delicious and international cuisine to try! Check out this beautiful blog to see all Berlin has to offer!

How about you? Where would you go, or are going, on summer vacation?

XOXO

(Photo by Markus Spiske)

Books I Love: MTL Edition

I thought it would be fun to write a series about some of my favourite books - and in honour of Montreal's 375th anniversary this year, I thought I would devote my inaugural post to MTL books!

Both books I'm featuring today are by fellow-Montrealer (and McGillian) Heather O'Neill. O'Neill is one of my favourite writers of all time. Her writing style is definitely unique - I don't think she's ever met a simile that she doesn't like, but she has an original voice, and her books, though set in the underbelly of Montreal, feature strong and articulate female characters that you can't help but root for. She understands this city and tells beautiful haunting stories, at the same time both whimsical and painfully gritty.

O'Neill's first book lullabies for little criminals is a heartbreaking coming-of-age story that follows Baby, a thirteen-year-old girl, forced to grow up too soon and confront the complexities and dangers of adulthood. Her mother is dead and her father is a heroin addict always looking for his next score. She soon becomes entangled with the local neighbourhood pimp at the same time as she is forging a sweet and naive friendship with a boy from her class at school. O'Neill powerfully channels the voice of the barely-teenaged Baby, and though this book is harrowing and tragic, you won't want to put it down. O'Neill's writing will make you laugh outrageously, but also break your heart.

I also love O'Neill's The Girl Who Was Saturday Night. Another coming-of-age story, set on the underbelly of The Main in the 1990s. Beautiful twins Noushcka and Nicolas Tremblay, abandoned by their famous Quebecois folksinger father, live with their grandfather Loulou in a tiny, squalid apartment on Boulevard St. Laurent. They are in turns wildly funny and infectiously charming, but also terribly self-destructive. Noushcka falls for Raphaël, a damaged former child prodigy, and her relationship with her brother and family begins to unravel. The Girl Who Was Saturday Night follows Noushcka's journey of self-exploration, but also deals with Quebec in the 1990s and the looming referendum and separation movement. I think that The Girl Who Was Saturday Night is truly a modern masterpiece.

Have you read any books by Heather O'Neill? 

XOXO

P.S. O'Neill has a new book out, The Lonely Hearts Hotel, set in 1930s Montreal. I haven't read it but it's definitely on my list!

(Photo of Ste-Catherine Street by me!)

5 Ingredient Goat Cheese Pasta

Sometimes shop the fridge night is leftovers, or eggs and toast, but sometimes it's something delicious like this goat cheese and tomato pasta! I had some leftover goat cheese from making this frittata, and with a few other ingredients we had on hand I was able to whip up this creamy and delicious pasta in minutes. I love the tang of goat cheese and it pairs well with the sweetness and acidity of cherry tomatoes. A new easy weeknight recipe has been found!

Goat Cheese and Tomato Pasta

Serves: 2
Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
170 grams gemelli pasta (or you could use rotini or fusilli)
Extra virgin olive oil
A few handfuls of cherry tomatoes (about a cup or so), halved
1/2 package of baby spinach
1/3 of a cup (or to taste) of creamy goat cheese

Method

Cook pasta, according to package directions, in a pot of salted water until al dente (about 8 minutes for gemelli).

Meanwhile, heat some olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add cherry tomatoes and sauté until they start to break down, approximately a couple minutes. Add baby spinach to skillet and cook until wilted, adding a few spoonfuls of pasta water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Drain pasta, reserving a little of the cooking liquid, and put back into the pot. Add goat cheese to the hot pasta and stir, letting the goat cheese melt and coat the pasta.

Add the pasta to the cherry tomato and spinach mixture. Toss gently to combine, adding some pasta water if needed.

Serve hot! Top with parmesan cheese or fresh basil, if desired. Would also be good with a little freshly grated nutmeg too!

Do you like goat cheese?

XOXO

MTL Food Trucks

We've only had them for a few years, but Montreal has a pretty great food truck scene. Tasty and eclectic street food —but beware you'll find lots of poutine and lobster rolls on repeat— can be had all over the city throughout the summer.

One of my favourite events to go to in the summers is First Fridays (or Premiers Vendredis en français) where a ton of Montreal's food trucks convene on the esplanade at the Big O. It's fun to go from truck to truck and make a 3-course (or more!) meal, and there's always something new and tasty to try. Also on offer are drinks, live music, and entertainment, making for a fun, and if you go early, family-friendly night out. First Fridays have been a tradition for my husband and I over the past 3 years, and we always try to hit it up 2 or 3 times during the summer. It makes for a laid-back and delicious date night out!

The last time we went I had Poutine Indienne, which is veggie samosas covered with chick pea masala, from the Damon Truck (it was awesome!!), and instead of getting my usual lobster roll or crab burger, I tried something different and had the pizza bianca and an Italian soda from Pizza No. 900. Not only is it a very stylish food truck, but the pizza is awesome (and so fast!!). Somehow I restrained myself from having dessert, but the doughnuts from Crémy Mobile or the waffles from Gaufrabec are some of my favourites. (Haha, who am I kidding, I only didn't have dessert at the trucks because my husband had made this chocolate tart to have when we got home!)

First Fridays are coming up again today, starting at 4pm at Olympic Stadium!! You can also check them out on September 1 and October 6. More info here. Or if you want to follow the Montreal food truck scene check here for daily schedules.

Happy eating!!

XOXO

What summer movie are you looking forward to?

Happy Wednesday!

I love going to the movies, but hardly make it to the theatre anymore. One movie I'm really looking forward to this summer is Logan Lucky and hope I'll get a chance to see it on the big screen. Have you seen the trailer? It's looks pretty entertaining. I love a good heist film and usually Steven Soderbergh can be counted on to deliver one. Logan Lucky opens in theatres on August 18. (Also, I can't wait for Ocean's Eight to come out next summer!)

Have you seen any good movies lately? What summer movies are you looking forward to?

XOXO

(Photo by Tim Mossholder)